Safety device for supporting an infant



July 24, 1962 K. 1.. WALSCHE 3,045,258

SAFETY DEVICE FOR SUPPORTING AN INFANT Filed NOV. 16, 1960 2: M m. hum...

F/G. Z.

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INVENTOR. AE/V/VETH L. WALSCHE BY Jdlauv United States Patent 3,045,258 SAFETY DEVICE FOR SUPPORTING AN INFANT Kenneth L. Walsche, Barkhamsted, Conn. (Star Rte. 6120, New Hartford, Conn.) Filed Nov. 16, 1960, Ser. No. 69,696 3 Claims. (Cl. -317) This invention relates to a device for supporting an infant safely While lying and resting upon its back.

It is the general object of the invention to provide a board upon which an infant can be comfortably rested for purposes of diaper changing and the like but which nonetheless prevents the infant from rolling and thus from falling from the bed or table upon which the board and infant may be placed.

The drawing shows a preferred embodiment of the invention and such embodiment will be described, but it will be understood that various changes may be made from the construction disclosed, and that the drawing and description are not to be construed as defining or limiting the scope of the invention, the claims forming a part of this specification being relied upon for that purpose.

Of the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of the diaper changing board or safety device provided in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a back or bottom view of the device;

FIG. 3 is another plan view of the device and showing an infant resting and supported thereon; and

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 1 of an alternative form of the invention.

When changing an infants diaper or while bathing or powdering the lower portion of its body and legs, the child is usually laid on its back on a bed or table. The mother or attendant cannot always be ready to prevent an active baby from rolling or turning so that it may fall from the bed or table and cause a serious injury. The present device is employed to secure the child in a supine or semi-supine position and to prevent it from rolling or turning so as to prevent falls from the bed or table. At the same time, the device of this invention causes the infant no discomfort while at rest on the bed or table and it permits complete freedom of movement of the infants arms, head, legs and lower portion of its body.

As shown in FIG. 1, the said device comprises a substantially rectangular elongated rigid sheet or board which can be conveniently made of wood or any other desirably rigid material. Obviously, the board 10 can be placed in a horizontal position on a bed or table or other device upon which an infant may be rested for the diaper changing and bathing operations.

In accordance with the invention the board is provided with an even number of apertures 12, 12 arranged in a longitudinally extending series in spaced apart relationship, half of the apertures being spaced on one side of the transverse center line of the board and the other half of the apertures being spaced on the other side thereof. These apertures 12, 12 are provided to secure strap means 14, 14. Preferably, thev strap means is in the form of a rope having end portions 14, 14 which are thrust through a pair of the apertures 12, 12, one of each pair being on each side of the center line. Thus, the central portion of the rope is disposed below the board 10 as shown in FIG. 2. As will be dmcr-ibed, the end portions of the rope or straps 1 4, 14 are to be extended over the childs shoulders from the armpits so as to secure the infant while at rest on the board. Therefore, a series of the apertures 12, 1 2 are provided on each side of the transverse center line to be used in pairs as described, the pair selected depending upon the size of the child at the time the board is used. When the board is used to support a tiny infant, the innermost pair of apertures is employed, and as the infant grows, the pairs spaced outwardly therefrom can be used selectively.

As shown in FIG. 3, the infant is placed at rest on the board in a transverse position with respect thereto. To provide greater comfort for the infant, an arcuate notch 16 is cut into one longitudinal edge of the board at the transverse center line, this edge being defined as the upper edge of the board, and the notch is arranged to accommodate the infants head in the position shown in FIG. 3 so that it can rest upon the bed or padding provided for the childs comfort.

In addition to the arcuate notch, the upper edge of the board 10 is provided with a pair of strap securing notches in the form of bayonet slots 18, 18. These bayonet slots provide means for conveniently and easily securing the ends of the rope after the said rope has been extended over the childs shoulders. In this connection, it will be noted that the ends of the rope are knotted to prevent inadvertent withdrawal of the rope after the knotted ends have been respectively inserted within the slots 18, 18 to the ends thereof with the knots disposed on the bottom surface of the board as shown in FIG. 2.

With the apparatus applied as shown in FIG. 3, the arms and head of the infant can be moved and the lower portion of the body and legs can be raised, pivoting the body about the shoulders in the diaper changing and bathing operations. However, with "the infant secured to the board it cannot roll from side to side or othervn'se turn or move so as to cause a fall from the bed or other article upon which the board and infant are rested.

As a further precaution against undesirable movement, the under side or bottom surface of the board can be textured to prevent slipping.

The alternative form of the device shown in FIG. 4 is identical to the first described form except for the headrest and rope securing notches. That is, the alternative form utilizes a V-shaped notch 16a rather than the arcuate notch 16 of the first form, and modified bayonet slots 18a, 18a are employed, these having their closed ends extended upwardly to provide even greater security against the inadvertent withdrawal of the knotted ends of the rope.

. In either form, the board provides a safety device to prevent dangerous falls and at the same time it holds the infant in a convenient position for the mother to perform a bathing or diaper changing operation. The child suffers no discomfort and does not panic because its arms, legs and head are completely free for normal movements.

The invention claimed is:

1. A safety device for supporting and retaining an infant in a substantially supine position with the upper portion of such infants body being restrained against movement While enabling the lower portion and extremities of such infants body to have freedom of movement, said safety device including an elongated relatively rigid board having a marginal extent that is shorter than the length of and wider than the width of such infants body, said board further having a plurality of apertures disposed in longitudinally spaced relationship relative to each other with at least one of said apertures being to each side of the transversally extending center line of the board and a pair of open-ended slots disposed in spaced relationship relative to each other along one edge portion of the board with at least one of the slots being to each side of the transversally extending center line of the board, and elongated bodily flexible strand means passing through a pair of said apertures one on each side of the transversally extending center line of the board, said strand means having enlarged end portions for securing the end portions of the strand means to a respective one of the slots to enable the upper portion of such infants body to be supported and retained on one side of the board with the strand means passing over the upper portion of such infants body from the apertures to the slots.

2. The safety device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said strand means includes a single rope-like element having each end portion thereof knotted, said rope-like element having the intermediate portion thereof disposed along the other side of the board which is opposed to the one side thereof on which such infants body is supported and retained.

3. The safety device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said board is provided with a transversally inwardly extending recess for receiving the head of such infant, said recess being disposed intermediate the slots and along the p 5 one edge portion of the board.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Cass Nov. 13, 1934 Creelman June 19, 1956 

